You’re probably familiar with rsync, that super powerful command-line tool that isn’t always very intuitive. Well, Grsync is rsync with a clear graphical interface and neatly organized options.
For those new to it, Grsync (and by extension, rsync) allows you to synchronize folders and files, whether locally on your machine or with remote machines. You can create as many synchronization profiles as you want, each with its own settings: source and target folders, file filters, transfer options, and so on. Once everything is configured, all you have to do is click a button, and voilà, it takes care of everything while you sip your coffee (or your Club-Mate, to stay in theme).
It’s especially useful for regularly backing up your important data to an external hard drive or a NAS, to avoid unpleasant surprises in case of a crash. But be careful—remember to regularly test your backups to ensure they work and can be successfully restored.
Grsync can also be used to sync your music collection between your PC and your laptop, or even to replicate partitions for those of you who like to live on the edge. In short, the possibilities are nearly endless.
What I really like about Grsync is that it doesn’t treat its users like beginners. Sure, the graphical interface makes things much easier, but you still have access to a ton of advanced rsync options if you want to fine-tune your settings. And if you’re a true terminal ninja, you can even export the command line generated by the tool to tweak it manually.
Grsync is available in the repositories of most Linux distributions, so you just need to use your favorite package manager. On Ubuntu, for example, a simple:
sudo apt install grsyncAnd you’re all set. Of course, you’ll also need rsync installed, but that’s usually already the case on most systems.
For the command-line paranoiacs out there, rest assured: at any moment, you can see the rsync command that will be executed, and you can even export it into a shell script to run later or integrate into your scheduled tasks. This gives you full control over what’s happening.
And there you go, you can now sleep soundly knowing your documents are safe! Just remember to regularly plug in your external drive and click on “Execute” to update your backup. You can even check “Sort files” and “Delete first” to optimize the incremental backup.
Do note, however, that Grsync doesn’t encrypt your data, so avoid using it to sync your private collection of nude photos on a public server. It also doesn’t check the integrity of the files, so theoretically, it could propagate silent corruption. To truly safeguard your data, consider storing it on multiple media and regularly check that everything is okay.
In short, it’s a great free and open-source tool that does what it’s supposed to and can be found here.
